Spring motor powered toy



Dec. 26, 1967 K. w. LINDSAY 3,359,680

SPRING MOTOR POWERED TOY Filed Aug. 13, 1965 I 5 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. I.

4 I N VEN TOR KfMf/[lflA/A/WJ/IV Dec. 26, 1967 K. w. LINDSAY 3,359,680

SPRING MOTOR POWERED TOY Filed Aug. 13, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 p 2 FIG. 3.

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SPRING MOTOR POWERED TOY Filed Aug. 13, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIGS. F|G.6.

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United States Patent York Filed Aug. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 479,391 Claims. (Cl. 46206) The present invention relates generally to a spring motor powered toy, and more particularly to certain improvements in the construction of such a toy.

The play value of a toy is generally enhanced by moving parts, and thus it is understandable that most toys are constructed with moving parts and require an appropriate powering means for actuating such parts into movement. An economical and particularly suitable powering means for toys is a spring motor which can be readily adapted to produce rotative movement of a shaft or the like, and thus used effectively to propel a wheeled toy in movement. However, this otherwise suitable energy source has certain inherent shortcomings which has heretofore detracted from its use in the powering of toys. Being operative by the winding and unwinding of a spring subjects this device to breakage if winding is carried to excess, and this is the common rather than exceptional occurrence in the hands of children. Another common fault, particularly with wheeled toys, is the uncontrolled fast dissipation of the spring energy when the toy is overturned or the driving wheels are otherwise removed from the riding surface.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art. Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved spring motor powered wheeled toy in which spring overwinding is obviated, and in which spring pay-out is regulated to an even, moderate speed.

The provision of means to limit or brake spring payout to maintain a moderate speed not only prolongs the period of operation of the toy and thus has an obvious beneficial effect on the play value of the toy, but said braking also enhances the usefulness of the toy when in the form of a wheeled vehicle. The controlled dissipation of the spring energy provides the driving wheels of said toy with an unusually high torque, and thus the toy has an ability to pass over obstacles and up inclines, thereby enhancing the commercial value of the toy.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred but nonetheless illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a spring motor powered toy demonstrating features of the present invention, and in which the positions of movement of a toy figure of said toy are illustrated in full line and phantom line perspective;

FIG. 2 is a partial elevational view, on an enlarged scale, and in section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1, illustrating features of construction of the spring motor and also of a music producing device of said motor;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 2, in section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, and illustrating further details of construction of said spring motor;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, in section taken on line 44 of FIG. 2, and showing the other side of the structure of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are isolated sectional views of gear members associated with said spring motor, said gear members being shown in two positions of rotation essential to the functioning of said spring motor, namely, to wit:

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 4 illustrating a first starting position of rotation of said gears at which position spring play-out is limited by the prevention of rotation in the direction correspond ing to spring play-out; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5, but showing said gears in a second ending position of rotation at which position spring wind-up is limited by the prevention of further rotation in the direction of spring wind-up; and

FIG. 7 is an elevational view, in section taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 4, illustrating a governor element of said spring motor for regulating the speed of play-out of the spring.

Having reference to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 an exemplary toy, generally designated 10, which is powered by a spring motor demonstrating features of the present invention, said spring motor being generally designated 12 in FIGS. 24. The power requirements for the motor 12 are to drive the rear wheels 14 of a simulated vehicle 16 of said toy 10, and also to actuate a toy figure 18 seated in said vehicle 16 through positions of movement illustrated in full line and phantom line perspective in FIG. 1. Having only brief reference at this time to FIG. 4, it will be seen that to provide the motor 12 with sufiicient driving force to satisfy the foregoing power requirements that use is made in said motor 12 of a spring 20 occupying a normal coiled position about a storage drum 22 from which, in practice, it is transferred to a winding drum 24 and, in unwinding back onto the storage drum 22 is effective in powering said winding drum 24 in rotation. This movement is utilized in causing movement of said vehicle 16 and also rocking movement of said toy figure 18.

Having particular reference now to FIGS. 1, 2, it will be seen that a hollow lower body portion of the figure 18 extends into an opening 26 in the vehicle 16 and terminates in a bifurcated section 28 which straddles a shaft 30 of said motor 12. Each of the bifurcated sec.

tions 28 in turn straddles, in a transverse direction, an

eccentric 32 fixedly mounted on the ends of the drive" shaft 30 adjacent to each of the rear wheels 14. Located on opposite sides of the vehicle opening 26 is a depending section 34 having a vertical slot 36 therein, which confines a laterally extending trunnion 38 to vertical movement within said slot 36. In this manner, rotation of the drive shaft 30 and of the eccentrics 32 transmits an up-and-down movement to the toy figure 18 and also a rocking movement thereof about the axis of the trunnions 38.

Still referring to FIG. 2, it will be noted that fixedly mounted on the drive shaft 30 is a crown gear 40 which is the element actually powered by the motor 12 for driving the drive shaft 30 in rotation. Formed integral with this crown gear 40 is a spur gear 42 in meshing engagement with a spur gear 44 fixedly mounted on a stub shaft 46 which imparts rotational movement tapped off via said spur gears 42, 44 to a musical device herein generally designated 48. Said musical device 48 includes side walls 50, 52 in which the horizontally oriented stub shaft 46 is appropriately journalled for rotation. The rear edges of the side walls 50, 52 are appropriately supported on a transverse wall 54 of a rear body section 56 of the vehicle 16. The musical device 48 also includes a body of finger-like segments 58 riveted, as at 60, to the support 56. At its other end the segments 58 extend across the path of movement of a music device drum 62 having radial projections thereon, hereincollectively and individually designated 64, which upon rotation of the drum pass under the tips of the segments 58 and are effective to thereby cause vibration producing musical sounds. Thus, the musical device 48 functioning in a conventional and well understood manner also utilizes power provided by the spring motor 12.

Turning now more particularly to FIGS. 3-7 in con junction with FIG. 2, it will be seen that the spring motor 12 includes a train of intermeshing gears between the power source or spring 20 and the crown gear 40 of the drive shaft 30. In the normal position of the spring 20 as illustrated in FIG. 4, the spring 20 is coiled about the storage drum 22 and has only an initial segment of length 20a extended to and wrapped partially about the winding drum 24. The connection of the spring segment 20a to the winding drum 24 is made merely by engaging an opening 66 in the end of the spring about a radial projection 67 on the winding drum 24. This, in turn, is possible because in this condition of the drums 22, 24, the winding drum 24 is locked against counterclockwise rotation, and thus the normal urgency of the spring 20 to completely unwind itself from the winding drum 24 maintains the connection 66, 67 in tact. The structure for locking or jamming the winding drum 24 against such directional rotation while permitting unimpeded reverse direction rotation is described in detail subsequently herein.

The winding drum 24 is fixedly mounted on a main shaft 68 journalled for rotation in spaced transverse supports 70, 72. One end of the shaft 68 extends externally of the vehicle 16 and terminates in a crank 74. As best shown in FIGS. 3, 4, keyed to the internal end of the shaft 68 is a drive clutch 76 normally urged by a tension washer 78 against an interfitting surface, as at 80, of a drive gear 82 which is supported in a bearing mounting (not shown) on the shaft 68 and thus is capable of free rotation about said shaft 68. Tracing the transmission of rotational movement from the drive gear 82, it will be noted that such movement is transmitted via a spur gear 84 formed integral therewith directly to the crown gear 40 for powering said drive shaft 30 for the purposes already mentioned. Additionally, there is a feedback of motion from the drive gear 82 to a governor, generally designated 86 (see FIG. 7), which is contained within a housing 88 formed integral with the support wall 70. This feedback of rotational movement proceeds from the drive gear 82 to a first compound gear 90 mounted freely rotatable on an axle 92 supported between said supports 70, 72. The first compound gear 94 is in turn in meshing engagement with a second compound gear 94 which is freely rotatable on the shaft 68 between the governor housing 88 and the drive gear 82. The second compound gear 94 completes transmission of rotational movement to the governor 86 via meshing engagement with a spur gear 96 formed integral on a hub extension of said governor.

As clearly shown in FIG. 7, the governor 86 includes segments 98 joined to the main body of the spur gear 96 by connecting sections 100. In a manner which is well understood, rotation which is imparted to the governor 86 through drive of the spur gear 96 is effective when reaching a speed exceeding a predetermined value to force the segments 98 outwardly under the urgency of centrifugal force against the surface of the housing 88, and such surface contact functions as a brake to limit rotation to a speed below said predetermined value. This braking action of the governor 86 is effectively transmitted through the intermeshing gears 96, 94, 90 and eventually to the drive gear 82 and the drive clutch 76 to regulate the speed of rotation of the main shaft 68. Since the winding drum 24 is fixedly connected to the main shaft 68, the braking effect of the governor is further effective to regulate the play-out of the spring 20 as it uncoils from the winding drum 24 back to its original coiled position about the storage drum 22.

Having reference now to FIGS. 3, 4 and particularly FIGS. 5, 6, it will be noted that the spring motor 12 further includes a freely rotatable gear 102 mounted adjacent the storage drum 22 and a sto gear 104 in meshing engagement therewith and formed integral with the winding drum 24. As best shown in FIG. 3, gear 102 is loosely supported on a stub shaft 106 which mounts the storage drum 22 and is guided in its path of rotation by a circular lip 108 formed on the support wall 70 and fitted about an axial hub of the gear 102. Turning now to the sectional views of gears 102, 104 in FIGS. 5 and 6, gear 102 is provided with circumferentially spaced teeth, herein collectively and individually designated 110, totalling nineteen in all and separated by grooves therebetween, herein collectively and individually designated 112, to accom modate the teeth of the gear 104 ina meshing engagement established with said gear as is contemplated herein. All of the grooves 112 are similarly constructed, with the exception of two of said grooves, herein specifically designated 112a and 11% respectfully, which are purposely made shallower than the other grooves 112. The reason for this will soon be obvious. Gear 104 is similarly provided with circumferentially spaced teeth, herein collectively and individually designated 114, but such teeth total only sixteen or three less than the number of teeth which are provided the gear 102. Furthermore, all of the teeth 114 are similarly constructed with the exception of one tooth, herein specifically designated 114a, which is constructed larger than the other teeth 114. Because of the shallow construction of the tooth grooves 112a, 1121) on gear 102 and the larger radial dimension of the tooth 114a on gear 104, when the tooth 114a is rotated into engagement with either of the shallow tooth grooves 112a, 1121), thhere is a jamming of the gears 102, 104 and continued rotation of said gear in the same direction which produced said jamming is prevented. On the other hand, meshing engagement of any of the teeth 114 or of the elongated tooth 114a in any of the normally constructed tooth grooves 112 of the gear 102 occurs in an ordinary fashion, such as exists between normally constructed gears, and continued rotation of said gears is possible.

In FIG. 5, it will be understood that the winding drum 24 and thus the stop gear 104 associated therewith is in a first starting position of rotation at which the spring 20 (illustrated in phantom line perspective) is primarily coiled about the storage drum 22 except for a segment of length 20a which is partially wrapped about said winding drum 2.4 and detachably connected to the radial projection 68 thereof. In this condition of the spring 20 there is an urgency biasing the stop gear 104 in counter-clockwise rotation. This direction of rotation, however, is prevented by the jamming of the tooth 114a in the shallow tooth groove 112a and thus the stop gear 104 blocks the winding drum 24 against rotation in the direction which would result in complete unwinding of the spring length segment 20a therefrom. The spring urgency, however, which does exist enables the use of the detachable connection 66, 67 of the spring length segment 20a to the winding drum 24. A reverse or clockwise direction of rotation of the winding drum 24 (in the direction of the arrow) is possible and unblocks the jamming of the tooth 114a and groove 112a. This reverse or clockwise rotation is imparted to the winding drum 24 by same direction rotation of the crank 74, while reverse direction rotation or turns are produced in the cooperating gear 102. Moreover, due to the fact that there is an unequal number of teeth on the gears 102 and 104, with each turn of the stop gear 104 the elongated tooth 114a mesheswith a tooth groove which is displaced three positions from the tooth groove in which the elongated tooth 114a was in meshing engagement with on the previous turn. That is, as indicated in FIG. 5, rotation of the stop gear 104 from its starting position through six turns of revolution will successively locate the elongated tooth 114a thereon in those specific tooth grooves on gear 102 which are designated by a num;

ber indicating the turn and followed by the letter T (i.e. 1T identifies the groove meshing with the elongated tooth 114a after one turn, 2T after two turns, etc.).

In FIG. 6, it is assumed that the stop gear 104 is cranked through additional turns, totalling in this illustrative example fifteen in all, until the end rotational position of said stop gear 104 is reached as depicted in this figure. By tracing the gear 102 through the fifteen turns in which it is driven in revolution by the crankingof the stop gear 164, it will be noted that the termination of said turns at fifteen is caused by the elongated tooth 114a on said stop gear 104 being brought into meshing engagement with the shallow tooth groove 11212 which jams said gears against continued same direction rotation. Thus, in the embodiment illustrated herein the number of teeth provided the gears 102, 104 and the location of the jamming tooth and groove means 114a, 112a and 11211 provided thereon are located relative to each other to permit said fifteen turns between the starting position of FIG. 5 and the ending position of FIG. 6, and said fifteen turns will be understood to generally correspond to the substantial length of the spring 20 which it is desired to transfer from the storage drum 22 to the winding drum 24 preparatory to the operation of the toy powered by said spring motor 12. Thus, in the end position illustrated in FIG. 6, the spring 20 has been completely transferred to the winding drum 24 with the exception of a small length portion, herein designated 20b, which still retains its connection to the storage drum 22 and further wind-up rotation of the spring 20 on the winding drum 24 is effectively prevented by the jamming of the elongated tooth 114a in the shallow tooth groove 11% thereby preventing the undesirable result of having the spring 20 completely unwound from the storage drum 2-2. From the end wind-up position illustrated in FIG. 6, the spring 20 operating in a well understood manner is automatically played-out from the winding drum 2 4 and again assumes its normally coiled position about the storage drum 22, said winding drum and stop gear 104 during this transfer being biased through counterclockwise rotation which is effectively transmitted through intermeshing gears to the drive shaft 30 for operating the toy 10.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances, some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

What is claimed is:

1. A spring motor powered toy comprising a spring motor including a pair of rotatably mounted drums respectively serving as a storage drum and as a winding drum for a spring, a spring secured at one end to said storage drum and normally coiled thereabout, said spring being connected at its opposite free end to said winding drum such that rotation of said winding drum is effective to transfer said spring thereto, said winding drum having a first starting position of rotation and being effective after rotation through a predetermined number of turns to a second ending position of rotation thereof to complete the transfer of said spring thereto, intermeshing gears rotated in unison with said winding drum for limiting further rotation of said winding drum at said first position of rotation from rotation in a direction unwinding said spring completely from said winding drum and at said second position of rotation from further rotation in a direction unwinding said spring completely from said storage drum, said gears respectively having a mismatched tooth and groove means thereon which are located relative to each other to jam with each other at said first and second positions of rotation of said winding drum for preventing further winding drum rotation in that same direction of rotation which resulted in said jamming of said mismatched tooth and groove means, and a governor operatively connected tosaid winding drum to brake the spring play-out rotation thereof during transfer of said spring from said winding drum to said storage drum.

2. A spring motor powered toy comprising a toy vehicle having a pair of spaced transversely disposed shafts mounting wheels at opposite ends thereof for movement of said toy vehicle upon the powering in rotation of at least one of said shafts, a spring motor including a pair of rotatably mounted drums respectively serving as a storage drum and as a winding drum for a spring, said winding drum having a shaft extension therefrom in meshing engagement with said one of said transverse shafts for actuating said toy vehicle through movement, a spring secured at one end to said storage drum and normally coiled thereabout, said spring being connected at its opposite free end to said winding drum such that rotation of said winding drum is effective to transfer said spring thereto, said winding drum having a first starting position for rotation and being effective after rotation through a predetermined number of turns to a second ending position of rotation thereof to complete the transfer of said spring thereto, intermeshing gears rotated in unison with said winding drum for limiting further rotation of said winding drum at said first position of rotation from rotation in a direction unwinding said spring completely from said winding drum and at said second position of rotation from further rotation in a direction unwinding said spring completely from said storage drum, said gears respectively having a mismatched tooth and groove means thereon which are located relative to each other to jam with each other at said first and second positions of rotation of said winding drum for preventing further winding drum rotation in the same direction of rotation which resulted in said jamming of said mismatched tooth and groove means, and a governor in meshing engagement with said winding drum shaft extension to brake the spring play-out rotation of said drum during transfer of said spring therefrom to said storage drum.

3. A spring motor powered toy as defined in claim 2 including a toy figure mounted for movement in said toy vehicle, and means operatively connected between said one of said transverse shafts and said toy figure for simultaneously actuating said toy figure through positions of movement during the imparting of movement to said toy vehicle by the rotation of said transverse shaft.

4. A spring motor powered toy comprising a toy vehicle having a front and rear pair of wheels mounted on opposite ends of a front and rear shaft, respectively, for providing movement of said toy vehicle upon the powering in rotation of said rear shaft, a spring motor including a pair of rotatably mounted drums respectively serving as a storage drum and as a winding drum for a spring, said winding drum having a shaft extension therefrom in meshing engagement with said rear shaft for actuating said toy vehicle through movement, a spring secured at one end to said storage drum and normally coiled thereabout, said spring having its opposite free end wound partially about said winding drum and detachably secured thereto, said winding drum having a first starting position of rotation and being effective after a predetermined number of turns to a second ending position of rotation thereof to have said spring transferred thereto, intermeshing gears rotating in unison with said winding drum for limiting further rotation of said winding drum at said first position of rotation from rotation in a direction unwinding said spring completely from said winding drum and at said second position of rotation from further rotation in a direction unwinding said spring completely from said storage drum, said gears having an unequal, predetermined number of alternately spaced teeth and grooves in meshing engagement with each other, said predetermined number of the respective teeth of said gears being such as to permit a number of turns from said first to said second positions of rotation resulting in a transfer of the substantial length of said spring from said storage 7 drum to said winding drum, said gears further respectively having a mismatched tooth and groove means thereon which are located relative to each other to jam with each other at said first and second positions of rotation of said winding drum for preventing further winding drum rotation in that same direction of rotation which resulted in said jamming of said mismatched tooth and groove means, and a governor in meshing engagement with said winding drum shaft extension to brake the spring play-out rotation of said drum during transfer of said spring therefrom to said storage drum, said governor including rotatably mounted body segments, and a wall located adjacent the rotative path of said body segments and adapted to be frictionally engaged by said body segments upon the rotation thereof at a speed exceeding a predetermined value. 1

5. A spring motor powered toy as defined in claim 4 including a toy figure mounted for movement in said toy vehicle, an eccentric mounted on said rear shaft,

and rod means connected between said eccentric and said toy figure for simultaneously actuating said toy figure through positions of movement during the powering of said toy vehicle by the rotation of said rear shaft.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,203,840 11/1916 Bailey 185-43 2,146,665 2/1939 Wood 46206 X 10 2,619,194 11/1952 Huard 18543 OTHER REFERENCES German printed application No. E 10,023 XI/77f,

r date of printing January 1956, applicant Max Ernst. 0

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

N. RUSHEFSKY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SPRING MOTOR POWERED TOY COMPRISING A SPRING MOTOR INCLUDING A PAIR OF ROTATABLY MOUNTED DRUMS RESPECTIVELY SERVING AS A STORAGE DRUM AND AS A WINDING DRUM FOR A SPRING, A SPRING SECURED AT ONE END TO SAID STORAGE DRUM AND NORMALLY COILED THEREABOUT, SAID SPRING BEING CONNECTED AT ITS OPPOSITE FREE END TO SAID WINDING DRUM SUCH THAT ROTATION OF SAID WINDING DRUM IS EFFECTIVE TO TRANSFER SAID SPRING THERETO, SAID WINDING DRUM HAVING A FIRST STARTING POSITION OF ROTATION AND BEING EFFECTIVE AFTER ROTATION THROUGH A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF TURNS TO A SECOND ENDING POSITION OF ROTATION THEREOF TO COMPLETE THE TRANSFER OF SAID SPRING THERETO, INTERMESHING GEARS ROTATED IN UNISON WITH SAID WINDING DRUM FOR LIMITING FURTHER ROTATION OF SAID WINDING DRUM AT SAID FIRST POSITION OF ROTATION FROM ROTATION IN A DIRECTION UNWINDING SAID SPRING COMPLETELY FROM SAID WINDING DRUM AND AT SAID SECOND POSITION OF ROTATION FROM FURTHER ROTATION IN A DI- 